In the Blue
by Akino Ame
Summary: One-shot. Aftermath of what happens to Jarod and Raines after "Once in a Blue Moon."


In the Blue

Jarod felt that he could do no more than stare at the night sky and contemplate his complete and total failure. True, he had saved Sarah Rickman from Douglas Willard, the accursed Blue Moon Killer, but he had not saved Annie. He stopped the killer too late.

"I hope…they can have some peace," he whispered of her parents. He glanced down at his picture of his mother and looked back up at the moon. "Maybe someday, mine will too."

On the other side of humanity, William Raines entered the Pratt Institute, not caring who or what saw him. His grief clouded his judgment—something the inhuman man normally never experienced. Inside a room was a woman who had no more to lose.

"I would like to speak with her alone," Raines insisted. The doctor beside him nodded and deactivated the video cameras. The door closed, and he was left with her alone. "Edna?"

"How good of you to visit, William," the woman replied. "Is Annie doing well in school?"

"Annie's been dead for the past twenty years," he answered. "You know this, Edna!"

"How is Annie?"

"Damn it, Edna!" he shouted. "Annie is dead, all because of Jarod! You watched him refuse to help us find her!" Angered, he slapped her across the face.

Perhaps it was the action of the slap. Perhaps it was the grieved look on his eyes. Whatever it was, it awoke Edna Raines from her insanity for a few brief moments.

"I know, William," she replied. "But it is not the boy's fault. It is not easy to become a killer and retain your soul, as you know."

On any other day, Raines would have erupted in fury. But the final goodbye to his daughter caused him to feel a deep sense of guilt and regret. Jarod had only done what he could to keep from becoming Kyle, from becoming Miss Parker, from becoming Lyle, from becoming Raines.

"How is that other boy?" Edna asked. "Ethan?"

Raines took in a raspy breath. "He is continuing his work. His foster parents have too much control over him, though."

"And Miss Parker?" she continued. "How is she dealing with details of Catherine's death?"

"Miss Parker is getting too involved with things she shouldn't."

"And Jarod?"

Raines's breath got caught somewhere between his oxygen tank and lungs. What could he say? There was no way to tell her that it was all over without breaking her heart and her fantasies. He cared for her moderately—after all, she was his wife—but he could not risk having her gain clarity like this more than once in a blue moon. Finally, he fished into his pocket and removed the locket, the last heirloom of their daughter. He held it out in front of Edna, who took it in shaking hands. She then broke down into sobs, mourning the loss of Annie. All Raines could do was place his hand on her shoulder in comfort. It seemed to be the human thing to do.

And under the night sky, Jarod took out the pictures of his shattered family and gently spread them out on his lap. There was the photo Sydney had sent him of his mother, the aged version of the photo, a mugshot of Kyle, the photo Mike Bodie gave him of his father, and the picture of his mother and baby Emily. Somewhere out there, his father, mother, and Emily were hoping for him to come home safe and sound, not knowing of the fate of poor Kyle. He'd promised that he would never tell them about the monster Kyle had become, but he had to tell them that he was gone. And what could he give them, as he had given Annie's father the locket? So many people in connection to him had died: Kyle, Annie, Faith, Catherine Parker, Jacob, Alex…the list went on and would continue until the Centre was put out of commission for good. Finally, he gathered the photos and placed them close to his heart. A steady stream of memories flowed through his mind as he sat there. Let him worry about the next Pretend later. For now, he was remembering, in the blue, blue moon.****

**Yep, I've proved to be the most pathetic person in the world. "In the Blue" is Kouji Minamoto's image song in _Digimon Frontier,_ and for some reason, I thought of writing this one of the last times I listened to it. Also, I know that Edna, Alex, and Faith didn't show up until later, but just because they were secret characters doesn't mean they didn't exist. And Jarod had assumed that Alex was dead before running into the Chameleon.**

**I know this fic wasn't that great, but it was in my head and wouldn't leave me alone until I wrote it. That's the trouble with muses. Give me some feedback, but follow the rules in my profile. I hate when people only say "great fic. Write more soon!"**


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